Historical Government with Various Challenges

After a long wait, Jammu and Kashmir finally got a PDP-BJP government. It can also be termed as a historical initiative. With the formation of this coalition government political uncertainty and conjectures, continuing from last two months, ended completely. PDP Patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was sworn in as the state Chief Minister on Sunday. He is heading PDP-BJP coalition government.  Former separatist leader-turned-mainstream politician Sajad Loan took oath being inducted into state cabinet as a BJP nominee. After Sayeed, BJP leader Nirmal Singh took oath as Deputy Chief Minister of J&K. This the first time that BJP became a part of any government in Jammu and Kashmir. It can be said that coalition government in the state is merging of two opposite poles.  Quoting former Prime Minister VP Singh, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed said politics is an art to turn impossible into possible even in a paradoxical situation. Prior to it, Sayeed had dubbed possibility of alliance of both parties as the meeting of North and South Poles. It is meeting of two such parties which have different political agendas as well as ideologies. As of now, it is a big relief not only for the region but for entire nation also as both parties agreed to from alliance despite their disparate ideologies and political agendas. Sooner or later, it was sure to happen because no party got clear mandate in the 87- member state assembly. PDP got 28 seats in Kashmir region and BJP bagged 25 seats in Jammu region. Jammu-Kashmir consists of three regions viz. Valley, Jammu and Ladakh. However fractured mandate floated a possibility of another political equation that PDP, National Conference and Congress could form an alliance, but it could be possible only after interpreting the mandate arbitrarily. It was fair that first and second largest parties join their hands to make government so that all the three regions of J& K get share in government.  Since BJP and PDP together talked over in detail for two months before forming the government and came up with a common minimum programme, therefore it is expected that top priority of the government will be to realize public aspirations keeping party differences aside. BJP has relented on Article 370 whereas PDP softened on AFSPA. Several previous unanswered questions and few new questions will emerge out during the reign.  Ensuring return of Kashmiri Pandits, refugees coming from West Pakistan and their rehabilitation, separatism and its supporter Hurriyat Conference, terrorism and actions against it, development plans for Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh and allocation of resources between these two regions are few key issues for which political conflict is possible.  Leaders of both parties are rightly and clearly saying that it should be better seen as a governance alliance rather than a political partnership. So will PDP abstain from its controversial acts or not, that’s a million dollar question, because first message of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, immediately after taking oath, became a cause of concern for BJP. He thanked Hurriyat & Pakistan for smooth conduct of J&K Assembly Elections. They left no stone unturned to obstruct the fair and free elections. It is expected that BJP as an alliance of state government will have control over PDP. Of course, BJP disagreed with Sayeed and dissociated itself from his statement. Both PDP and BJP have challenge of running a successful and fair government that works in the public interest.

Anil Narendra